Ex-FBI director Comey to testify June 8 before Senate committee

TEGNA12:43 PM. EDT June 01, 2017

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee during an oversight hearing on the FBI on Capitol Hill May 3, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images) (Photo: Eric Thayer/Getty Images, 2017 Getty Images)

Former FBI director James Comey will testify June 8 before the Senate intelligence committee.

The special counsel overseeing the government's investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia authorized Comey to testify before the committee, a Comey associated told AP on Wednesday.

The open hearing is scheduled to being at 10 a.m. and will be followed by a closed session at 1 p.m., according to an advisory from the committee.

President Trump fired Comey in early May and initially said he based the decision on the recommendations from both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The president later told NBC News that the FBI had been in 'turmoil' and he was going to fire Comey regardless of the Justice Department recommendation.

The committee's Republican chairman and senior Democrat have said members want to hear from Comey on his role in the development of the U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia interfered in last year's election.

They say they also hope Comey's testimony will answer questions that have arisen since Comey's sudden firing by President Donald Trump.